Ticket printing machine



J. W. MILES Dec. 7, 1937.

TICKET PRINTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July '25, 1934 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

J. W. MILES Dec. '7, 1937.

TICKET PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGH A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TICKET PRINTING MACHINE York Application July 25, 1934, Serial No. 736,809 In Great Britain August 4, 1933 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for printing tickets, coupons or the like and has special reference to machines for printing coupon tickets for the purpose of keeping a record of workmens wages and like data.

Coupon ticket printing machines are known in which the desired data are printed upon the coupons by type carried in slidable type bars connected through gearing and other operating means with adjusting handles so as to enable the printing of variable series of symbols such as numbers, letters, price denominations and the like. Such a known machine in which a number of symbols are simultaneously printed on a number of coupons all forming part of one main ticket and provided with perforations to enable the coupons to be readily detached is described and illustrated in the specification and drawings of Patent No. 1,371,893, issued March 15, 1921. It has been found, however, that such machines whilst otherwise efiicient do not satisfy the requirements now felt for a machine in which a very large number of symbols or series of symbols can be efficiently printed. In the known machines it has been usual to provide an indicator corresponding with the type carrying bars and moving in conjunction therewith and adapted to provide an indication or designation of the type which has by a given movement of one or more controlling handles been brought into printing position.

It is found in practice that the number or range of type that can be accommodated in the type carrying bars is limited due to the fact that these bars cannot exceed a given length without making the machine cumbersome.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a ticket or like printing machine in which a very much larger number of type can be accommodated than with the known machines already referred to. In accordance therefore with the present invention considered broadly, a ticket or like printing machine comprises a series of chains, bands or belts carrying type and movable selectively into a number of indicated positions to enable the printing from the type of a variable series of symbols.

More particularly in accordance with the invention a ticket or like printing machine comprises a series of chains, bands, or belts carrying type, a series of chains, bands, or belts carrying indications visible to an operator, and means whereby said visible indications may be selectively changed, said changes being communicated to the type-carrying chains so that a variable series of symbols can be printed from the type. t will, of course, be understood that the type must be rigidly held in the chain, band, or belt accom modating them but that they must also be readily detachable at will as is the case with the type 5 carried in the type-carrying bars of the known machine.

In order that the present invention may be more fully understood, there will now be described, by way of example, a ticket or like print- 10 ing machine in accordance therewith and the manner of operation thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic end elevation of a ticket printing machine in accordance with the inven- 15 tion and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, l indicates an impression member for securing a printed record upon a card, not shown, which is inserted between rubber pads 2 and an ink ribbon 3 for the purpose of securing an impression from type carried by chains as hereinafter described. A cover plate 4 is situated above the ink ribbon 3, said plate being, however, cut away as indicated at 5 to permit the pads 2 to press against the card. Mounted on shafts 6, lbeneath the ink ribbon 5 is a series of sprocket wheels 8, 9, carrying endless chains l0, ll, each chain being kept taut by a weight l3 so that the chains It, ll hang vertically. The chains used in the machine are divided into two classes. In one class each half-link of a chain is adapted to carry an indicating letter or symbol and chains of this class are hereinafter referred to as indicationbearing chains. In chains of the other class, each half-link carries a printing type and chains of this class are referred to as type-carrying chains. Figure 2 shows the manner in which the chains are divided into these two classes, chains H, l4, l5 and It being indication-bearing chains and those numbered ll, l8, I9, 20 and 2! being type-carrying chains.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2, it will be seen that the two series of sprocket wheels of the two sets 9, 22, 23, 24 and 25, 26, 21, 28, 29, are mounted for free rotation upon a common shaft 7, similar sets being arranged behind these upon the spindle 6 shown in Figure 1.

Meshing with chains H), H is a sprocket wheel 30 carrying a gear wheel 3| external to the chains I0, I I. Similar sprockets 32,33,34 carrying similar gear wheels 35, 36, 31, mesh with chains l4, l5, l6. As shown in Figure 2 each of chains II, l4, I5, 55

it carries indications or symbols which may, as shown, take the form of letters.

Mounted in the framework of the machine is an axially slidable shaft 38 capable of being rotated by means of handwheelr39 and also of being adjusted to various longitudinal positions in which the handwheel 39 will occupy one or other of the positions shown in an indicator 40 attached to the frame of the machine and in which notches 4| in the shaft 38 will be engaged by a V-shaped detent 42 urged into engagement therewith by'a'spring 43. Fixed on shaft 38 is a toothed gear Wheel 44, such that when shaft 38 is moved longitudinally into one or other of the four positionsshown by indicator 40, gear wheel 44 will mesh with one or other of gear wheels 3!, 35, 36, 31 and, upon rotation of shaft 38, cause the 'correspon'dingc-cooperating gear wheel to rotate, withcorresponding movement of the chain connected thereto.

Mechanical connection is provided between the various individual chains of the series of indication-bearing chains and various chains .or groups of chains of the series of type-bearing chains. -'As shown this mechanical connection is provided by a series' of sprocket wheels "fixed on shafts by which movement of an indicationbearing chain causes corresponding movement of one or more type-bearing chains. For example, a sprocket wheel 45 mounted on a shaft 46 meshes with chain H of the indication-bearing chaingthis shaft 43 carrying two further sprocket wheels"4l, 48, meshing respectively with chains I9 and 2| of the type-carrying: series. It is to be observed-that the type-carrying series of chains has not been shown completely but it will normally comprise a very large-number of chains.

As each indication-bearing chain is turned by means of handwheel '39, shaft 38; and gear 44, into 'a position in which a' certain symbol becomes visible to an operator through an aperture49 in a cover-plate 50, one or moreQof the type-carrying chains 'is'simultaneously brought into a position in. which a corresponding type or types are brought intoprinting position beneath ink ribbon 3 and rubber pads 2 so that when the impression member I is depressed-by a suitable lever, not shown, a card placed between said member and the ink ribbon will have impressed thereon the figures or other symbols carried by the type then in position. v I

If desired, means such as one or'more V-shaped detents, not shown, maybe provided to engage the teeth of any of the sprocket wheels forthe purpose'of securing alignment of adjacent type in a series of chains and so thus obtain a properly alignedi'nipression. V

If desired the type-carrying chains may pass over a bed or platform'inade 'of any desired material for the purpose of supporting the chains and thety'pe which they carry against the pressure of the impression member I which, during the operation, is caused'to'press a card to be printed upon against the typeface. Means are desirably provided also to ensure that shaft 38 may only ofcourse, be appreciated that tension springs may be utilizedfor producing the requisite tension on the various chains of each series.

It will be understood that the chains, bands, or

belts, may be made of any desired length and may be provided in any desired number; in consequence a large number and range of type can be accommodated thereby providing a greatly increased range of usefulness of the apparatus as compared with known machines.

While I have shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood .that'variou's' omissions and substitutions and. changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled'in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend to be limited therefore only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A coupon ticket printing machine comprising a plurality of looped indicator bands, each indicator band having aseries of visible indications thereon settable to a reading line, a plurality of. groups of type carrying'bands, each type carrying band of a group carrying type corresponding to the indications at a related indicator band, means for selectively operating an indicator band,'means for communicating the movement of said indicator band'to one type carrying band of a related group' to bring the type thereof in aprinting line corresponding to the readingline of the indications on the indicator band, and means for communicating the movement of the selected indicator band to the otherztype carrying band of the group to present the type thereof to another printing line.

2. A coupon ticket printing machine including a plurality of looped indicator bands, each indicator bandhavingia series of visible indications thereon settable to a reading position, a plurality of groups of looped type carrying bands,each group correlatedwith a related indicator band and each band :of the group'earrying type characters corresponding to the'indications on the related indicator band, means for selectivel'yoperating a selected indlcatorband, a pinion driven by a related in- :dicator band and a shaft carrying said pinion, and

means'comprising a plurality of'pinions carried by said shaft fordriving the related'group of type carrying bands for communicating corresponding movement of the group of type carrying bands by the related indicator band.

JOSEPH WILLIAM NHLES. 

